Lost Without You
by Scotch-Irish Rose
Summary: The queen and princess cannot possibly fathom life without their beloved king. Rated T for mild adult references.


Lost Without You

_The queen and princess are lost without the king.  
_

* * *

**A/N: This takes place some time after Elinor and Merida arrive at the castle, riding away from Mor'du, and therefore Fergus. I tried my very best to illustrate the two of them in hysterics; please enjoy.  
**

**Update 8/23/12: I've revised this to make it more dramatic. I hope you still enjoy it!  
**

* * *

"I regret to inform ye of this, Yer Majesty, but the king and his men have yet to arrive, nor have we received word from them. I'm terribly, terribly sorry."

Elinor squeezed her eyes shut and placed a hand over her mouth, and Merida glanced at her in confusion from where she stood beside her. The queen leaned against the doorjamb for support. When she received no response, Maudie spoke again.

"M-Madam?"

"That _cannot_ be," the queen breathed. "That is _not _acceptable!" she exclaimed harshly, tears stinging at her eyes. She continued to keep them shut, fighting with all her might not to bawl – not in front of Merida. She couldn't allow her daughter to reason what was going on, what had happened, what fate had possibly befallen her beloved father.

"Yer Highness, my deepest apologies. I'm quite certain our dear king is perfectly capable of..."

"Please excuse me." Elinor blurted, scampering from the room with the prospect that crying was inevitable and therefore unavoidable.

She allowed the tears to flow, now that her vulnerable daughter was out of sight and earshot. She barged into the royal bedchamber, slamming the door shut and collapsing on the bed in a sobbing, helpless heap. How could that atrocious, wicked beast, Mor'du, having come from some God-forsaken land, taken her Fergus away from her! _Her Fergus! _

She spotted her husband's kilt laid upon his pillow, and she clambered across the bed to retrieve it, burying her face in the fabric. She breathed in his scent until she felt as if she would hyperventilate, her back heaving violently as she sobbed, gasping for air. She rested her head upon his pillow, filling her nose further with his essence. Her tears dampened the pillow, and she hugged the garment to her chest, squeezing her eyes shut again.

The sun was beginning to descend on the horizon, and the growing darkness began to consume her, rendering her feeling helpless and alone. She couldn't possibly fathom life without Fergus, though she knew she had to have faith in her love. He was adept at battling, and she couldn't lose hope. He could certainly defend himself if he could defend his family. A demon bear was no match for her darling husband.

She reached a hand up to her neck, grasping for her pendant. To her horror, her precious treasure was absent, and she gasped anxiously, springing from the bed and beginning to search the room for her pendant, that irreplaceable gift she had received from her beloved those years ago, the possession she cherished with all her heart.

"No, no, please!_ Please, no!"_ she cried, her tenacious tears returning once more. She ripped back the bedsheets, frantically searching for the pendant. _"Where is it?!" _she screamed, her voice straining. She brought her hands to her face, her body wracking with sobs. It couldn't be gone. The memory, she couldn't lose the memory of... _him. _

Her amber eyes filled with rage, and she angrily gripped the handle of a drawer, tossing it into the wall with an unbelievable force. The wood slammed against the wall with a deafening sound, splitting in half and sending splinters soaring through the air. If Elinor had been pierced by one of the pieces, she didn't notice – the pain of losing her love outmatched any physical pain.

She proceeded to yank the second drawer out, catapulting it towards the wall and allowing to shatter into several pieces. She went weak at the knees, and she allowed them to buckle and send her to the ground. Her tear-filled eyes darted to the scattered pieces of wood, and she snatched the kilt from the bed, bringing it to her face in an effort to stifle her uncontrollable sobs.

Over her clamorous cries, she heard the low creaking of the door, and she turned her head toward the sound.

Merida trudged into the room, maneuvering around the broken bits of wood scattered about the floor. She stood before her mother and gazed sincerely at her with concerned eyes.

"Mummy, wh-what's happened?" she asked in a low whisper, and she watched the queen's amber eyes fill with a fresh supply of tears.

Elinor smoothed Fergus' kilt upon her lap, her chest heaving with a stubborn sob that had been threatening to escape.

"I-I'm not sure, dear." she managed to choke out, receiving a puzzled furrow of the brow from Merida.

"Wh-where's Daddy?" she asked, her voice wavering with concern.

"I don't know, dear." Elinor replied, feeling another lump beginning to develop in her throat. _Ye _must _control yer emotions, for yer daughter's sake, _she told herself, though she knew there was no feasible way of doing so. She _would _lose control. She _would _begin to cry again, of that she was certain. It was only a matter of time – when she would break down.

"What's happened to him? When will he be back?" Merida demanded, her voice becoming louder and more desperate by the moment.

Elinor locked eyes with Merida, her eyes overflowing as tears began to cascade down her cheeks again, rolling down to her chin and landing on the kilt.

"I don't know, Merida! I'm worried _sick _about yer father, can't ye see?!" she shouted hysterically, feeling guilt wash over her as her daughter's azure eyes filled with tears as well. She hastily enveloped her in a hug, stroking her curls comfortingly. "Oh, my love, forgive me!" she apologized as she heaved with sobs again.

Merida began to sniffle, and she took her father's kilt in her hands, hugging it to her chest as she rested her head upon the queen's. Tears began rolling down her cheeks as she too began to cry hopelessly.

"I miss Daddy," she whimpered tearfully. "Mummy, I want him back! I want him back, I want him back right now!" she cried in agony, and Elinor rocked her gently back and forth, resting her chin upon her daughter's head as tears spilled from her eyes.

"I know ye do, my love." she responded shakily, feeling the pit of her stomach fill with a severe sense of foreboding. "I love yer father with all my heart, I want him just as much as you do, darling. Please, _please, _stop yer cryin'."

The queen knew she was setting a horrid example for her daughter, but she couldn't help it. She had no control over her extreme, undying love for her husband, though she couldn't stand to see her daughter in such traumatic pain.

"Who took Daddy away from us?!" Merida screamed, Elinor's dress becoming soaked with her daughter's tears.

The queen's body wrenched violently with tearful, pained sobs as she shook her head furiously. She couldn't bring herself to tell her precious Merida that her father had been slain by a demon bear; she just couldn't. At the sound of her daughter's traumatized cries, the queen's heartbeats seemed to slowly come to a halt. Her worst fears had become a reality. Fergus' battered and bruised body had been recovered; the king had been murdered, all because he was protecting his family. The king was deceased; he had been slaughtered by Mor'du.

* * *

"Yer Majesty, give us a sign if ye can hear us!" a voice pleaded, and Fergus tried raising his heavy lids.

With no success, he gave a low grunt to appease the anxious voice.

"He's alive..." it whispered incredulously, raising the now obvious male voice to a yell. "Send word to the castle! This instant!" he ordered, the request ringing in the king's ears.

He gave a low groan. Feeling extremely weak, as if he had been somehow paralyzed, he tried to shift his position, instantly feeling a bolt of sharp pain shoot through his body. He cried out in agony, feeling a hand being placed upon his shoulder.

"Don't move, my king! Ye're badly hurt, we must get ye medical attention as soon as possible."

Fergus wracked his brain to try and remember what had happened. It suddenly occurred to him after a moment or two. Something had happened to him, he was sure of that. Something that had to do with the demon bear, Mor'du. But, what? He felt himself be lifted off the ground by several men, each straining under his stature.

"Keep his good leg up!" another voice snapped, and the king experienced the epiphany of his life. It crashed down upon him like the bear's deathly jaws. The beast had gotten his leg.

At this shocking, remorseful realization, he began breathing heavily, his heart practically beating out of his chest, the erratic pumps shooting waves of pain through his body. He remained conscious for a mere second longer before everything went dark.

* * *

Fergus, recovering from a sleep that felt similar to a void from which he was unable to escape, groggily opened his eyes, immediately coming face to face with Merida, her tears falling upon his skin with velocity.

"_Daddy!" _she squealed, throwing her arms around his neck. "I'm so happy ye're alive!"

"M-Merida," he croaked softly, embracing her wholeheartedly. "Oh, m'darlin', ye're safe."

"I thought I lost ye, Daddy. I _love _ye." Merida whispered, tears threatening again. "Promise me ye'll never leave me and Mummy ever again! Promise, promise, promise!"

She leaned back to glare at him, and the king could only chuckle.

"Ye remind me so much of yer mum when ye give me that look." he marveled quietly, pecking his daughter's cheek. "And I promise ye, lass. Never again."

The king hugged his beloved daughter before continuing, "I was so worried about you and yer..."

He raised his head, locking eyes with the queen, who up to this point had remained silent as she stood beside his bed. Her eyes were producing a copious amount of tears, and Merida crawled from her father's arms to allow her mother to greet her father.

"Eli." he whispered, kissing his wife's forehead as she bent over him, allowing her tears to fall upon the blankets draped over him. He wrapped his arms around her as she toppled on to him, as if she were far too weak to stand any longer.

"Fergus..." Elinor whispered tearfully as Fergus wrapped his arms around her. "Oh, my darling, I've never been more afraid," she breathed, her voice catching in a sob, "of anythin' in my entire life."

"Oh, Eli, I love ye. I love ye more than words can say." he whispered, rubbing her back comfortingly as it heaved.

"If ye ever scare me like that again, ye'll be sleepin' alone on a baltic night." she warned, pressing her lips to his and sighing at the contact. She had never been more insincere when she uttered her previous statement. There was nothing she wanted more at that very moment than to retire in a warm bed beside him, to be close to him, and to show her love for him in a way only she, his queen, could. She leaned into him and cupped his face in her hands, breaking the kiss when she felt his body rumble with a low groan. She quickly loosened her tenacious grip of him, gazing at him in worry.

"It's nothin'." he assured her, recognizing her worried glance and those beautiful yet fearful amber eyes.

"Don't ye try and pull the wool over my eyes, lad." she said austerely, placing her palm upon his cheek, giving a solemn albeit knowing smile.

Fergus sighed in defeat. Nothing could get past his Elinor, not a thing.

* * *

"Will Daddy be alright?" Merida asked worriedly as her mother tucked her into bed.

"Aye, I'll be sure all of his needs are met. Ye can depend on me, darling." the queen replied, stroking her daughter's forehead and planting a kiss upon it.

"Happy birthday, my love. Pleasant dreams." Merida sighed contentedly as her mother blew out the candle beside her bed and shut the door carefully behind her as she silently slipped out. She walked to her bedchamber, where Maudie was tending to the king, who had been settled into bed, a freshly wrapped cloth bandage wrapped tightly around his injured leg. The nursemaid moved on to the duty of fluffing his pillows, and smiled as the queen approached.

"He should recover, Yer Highness, but ye must be sure to limit his activities." she said, bowing as she left the room. "I bid ye a good night."

Once the couple was alone, much to Elinor's glee, the queen retreated to her husband's bedside.

"Would ye mind givin' me yer kilt so I may mend it, dear?" she asked, smiling fondly as her husband began peeling his clothing off. She would disregard the stains for the time being, and she opened the drawer that was intact, plucking a needle and thread from within it and settling down in a chair near the bed, beginning to sew the tear. "I was worried sick about ye." she said in a low voice, glancing up at Fergus for a mere moment before focusing her attention on her work.

"I know ye were." he said, furrowing his brow as he noticed the remnants of what used to be a piece of furniture scattered about the room. "What happened in here?" he inquired, gesturing at the bits of wood, all the while observing his wife's delicate fingers mend his kilt.

Elinor refused to move her eyes from the task at hand, ashamed of her outburst that occurred earlier in the day.

"I-I thought I'd lost ye." she stated in a whisper, holding up the kilt to observe her work. She would finish her work the next morning; now, her primary focus was Fergus. _Her _Fergus.

Walking to her armoire, she tucked the garment inside for safekeeping. She swiveled around, offering him a timid yet loving smile at his knowing expression. She stepped over the splinters of wood and crawled into the bed beside him, taking her place beside him.

"Ye know ye can't get rid of me that easily, Eli." he chuckled heartily, his aquamarine eyes brightening with a sudden realization. "Aye, dear. The lads found this in the glen." he added, reaching into a pocket and placing an object gently into her cupped hand.

Elinor swallowed as her eyes fell upon the three bears, glimmering in the dimming candlelight. She tenderly traced the emblem with her fingertips, observing the broken chain. "I'll arrange for another chain to be made for ye, darlin'." he said, yawning audibly.

Elinor raised her head and locked eyes with him; his gorgeous, azure orbs, normally bright and filled with an unmistakable vigor, were clouded and weary, and she noticed his heavy lids beginning to close.

"Ye must get some rest, love." she said, leaning in to kiss the scruff on his chin gently. She placed the pendant on the bedside table, and turned back to him, removing his helmet gingerly and placing it upon the table as well. She proceeded to lift the kilt she had used to dry her tears and fold it slowly, walking once more to her armoire and tucking it safely inside with its companion.

"I've got to tend to the fields in the mornin' Eli, so if I'm not here when ye awaken..."

"Ye're not goin' anywhere for a good, long while, Fergus." Elinor assured him with austerity, selecting her nightgown from the armoire and slipping out of her clothes.

Fergus, as if he were changing the subject to avoid any more confrontation, added, "I've never understood why ye put yerself through wearin' that awful thing." Elinor turned around as she slipped into her nightgown, gazing into his blue eyes.

"What, dear?"

"That corset," he replied, saying the word as if it were a bad taste in his mouth. "Ye certainly don't need it."

Elinor chuckled modestly as she removed the ribbons from her hair and placed them upon her dresser. She padded barefoot to the bed, and was welcomed into the warm safety of his arms.

He wrapped his arms possessively around her, frowning when he felt a tear land upon his arm. He raised her chin with his hand. Though the flickering light of the candle was diminishing, he could clearly make out tears in her eyes.

"Now, what's wrong, darlin'? Why all the tears?"

As Elinor hastily buried her face in his chest, her back heaving with a sob, he pressed gently, "Tell me what's wrong." There was a beat of silence as Elinor inhaled.

"I thought ye were... were..." Try as she might, the queen couldn't get the dreadful word out. Her lithe form wracked with another sob, and Fergus cupped his hand on the nape of her neck, kissing her lips gently.

"I'm never goin' to leave ye, Eli. I need you more than you need me." he whispered, brushing a tear from her cheek. A mischievous grin spread across his face. "I think ye need convincin'."

Elinor raised her head at his statement, watching in awe as he peeled off his tunic, revealing his sculpted chest to her widened eyes.

"Fergus, ye don't need to be..."

He cut her off with a kiss so passionate that she felt as if she were flying. Her stomach fluttered with joy as he pulled back, though she was nowhere near satisfied.

"Just because one 'o my legs can't be used," he whispered playfully, "doesn't mean other parts 'o me can't can't."

He quirked an eyebrow at her, and she blushed fiercely, giving a tearful laugh as she succumbed to his lustful embrace.


End file.
